Newbie Help..

I'm shopping for webhosting and I know very little (basic html).

Here's my issue, I'm not stupid and can learn from scratch if I have
the time.. (the big factor for all of us right?)

I'd like to be able to use my website to sell item and in addition
drive winners from my ebay auction to fill out a customer survey and
write the info to a database.
As much as I hate windows... I assume access database.

Does that need I need windows hosting and how hard will this stuff be
to write for a newbie? (I don't know cold fusion from a freeze pop, so
if anyone has a good site to learn from ground zero??)

Any suggestions on the above.. or even the suggestion to out source it
all!

Thanks.. much in advance..

-Paul

William Tasso wrote...

>is the database compulsory? survey results could be saved to text >files or mailed to you perhaps - depends what else the data will >do/drive/etc.

>KISS - and treat both elements (sales and survey) as separate >projects. To produce work of this nature the technology employed is >largely irrelevant

Excellent points on both accounts!
Yes a text/email would be fine.. I'm not that big yet maybe 500 deals
per month and how many folks are really going to do the survey? 10%?

And yes KISS is a good rule...
I got the stupid part down..

Maybe I would be wise to spend a little money on more of the design
features.. the layout and all that stuff.
I have VERY little artistic ablitities in this area.

I saw a site review webhosting, any suggestions a basic min requirement
if I'm going to outsource.
(something like www.web-hosting-reviews.org)


Or.. is there anything to RUN FROM... in order to make whom ever I hire
happy? To my untrained eye, most of the ones in their 10 ten or so look
fine, except for the one that says "experienced users.. etc"

Thanks much!